Blog

Press Release from the National Sports Commission

The National Sports Commission (NSC) will on Saturday night (November 8) host its first-ever black-tie edition of the National Sports Awards, a landmark event that promises to elevate the prestige and presentation of Guyana’s top sporting honour.

The gala takes place from 19:00h at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre, celebrating athletes, coaches, officials and associations for their outstanding achievements throughout 2024.

According to Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, the event signals a new era for the National Sports Awards, which date back to 1970.

Ninvalle described this year’s ceremony as a reflection of the government’s growing investment and appreciation for local sportsmen and women.

“This new approach adds to the many changes introduced under the leadership of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., and demonstrates our commitment to raising the standards of sport in every possible way,” Ninvalle said.

The NSC’s selection committee recently completed its deliberations following a detailed review of submissions from national federations.

Ninvalle commended the panel for what he called a “transparent and merit-based selection process”, ensuring that the most deserving individuals and organisations receive recognition.

“The committee has done an exceptional job in ensuring fairness and transparency. Their work guarantees that the winners truly represent the best of Guyana’s sporting talent,” Ninvalle added.

Leading this year’s line-up of honourees is national footballer Omari Glasgow, Guyana’s all-time leading goal scorer and a strong contender for Sportsman-of-the-Year.

Glasgow’s stellar run in the CONCACAF Nations League earned him both the Best Young Player Award and Top Scorer Award, as he propelled the Golden Jaguars to a historic promotion to League A.

The 21-year-old striker, who has notched 21 goals in 33 international appearances, is joined on the shortlist by bodybuilder Nicholas Albert, who earned his IFBB Pro Card in 2024, Olympian Emanuel Archibald, and national cricketer Ashmead Nedd.

The Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year category features four rising stars- track athletes Kaidon Persaud and Malachi Austin, swimmer Raekwon Noel, and chess prodigy Sachin Pitamber- each having achieved remarkable feats on both regional and international stages.

Among the women, the Sportswoman-of-the-Year award will see a strong contest between squash stars Nicholette Fernandes and Ashley Khalil, Taekwondo standout Ceili Peterson, and bodybuilding sensation Rosanna Fung, whose performances continue to elevate Guyana’s reputation on the world fitness stage.

For the Junior Sportswoman-of-the-Year, Athaleyah Hinckson is among the favourites after making history by winning Guyana’s first-ever gold medal in the CARIFTA Games U-17 women’s 100m, then following up with gold at the South American U-20 Championships.

She will face tough competition from Tianna Springer, the CARIFTA 400m champion, and other young talents.

The Coach-of-the-Year field includes Julian Edmonds of the Running Brave Track Club, who guided both Austin and Hinckson to success, alongside Ryan Hercules (cricket) and Joseph “Bill” Wilson (GDF Football Club), whose leadership shaped their teams’ winning performances.

Meanwhile, four associations- the Guyana Basketball Federation, Guyana Chess Association, Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, and Guyana Golf Association- are vying for the Association of the Year title, recognising excellence in administration and development.

In the Sports Official of the Year category, GBF President Michael Singh, FIFA referee Shavin Greene, Vidish Sookram (bodybuilding), and Kerwyn Johnson headline the male nominees, while Natasha George, Denisha Isaacs, and Aileen Bowman-Joseph lead the female shortlist.

The Media Awards will see a tussle between top sports journalists Rawle Toney (Kaieteur News), Michelangelo Jacobus (Stabroek News), Jemima Holmes (Guyana Times), Akeem Greene (News Room), Avenash Ramzan (News Room) and Eric Collymore (NCN).

Additionally, NAMILCO, Ansa McAl, ENet, Bluewater Shipping, MVP Sports, ExxonMobil, Trophy Stall, and Sublime Security have been shortlisted for Corporate Sponsor of the Year, acknowledging their consistent support and investment in local sport.

The post National Sports Awards to shine in first-ever ‘Black Tie’ affair at Pegasus appeared first on News Room Guyana.

McLaren’s Lando Norris said taking pole position for Saturday’s sprint race was a “good start” to his Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend.

The Briton said he was “confident” in dry conditions, but the sprint – which is due to start at 14:00 GMT, 11:00 in Sao Paulo – could be affected by an expected overnight storm.

“We have to prepare for both conditions,” said Norris, who starts two places ahead of team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri.

“I expect the morning to be heavy rain and incredibly windy. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Norris, who heads Piastri by one point in the championship after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix two weeks ago, beat Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 0.097 seconds in sprint qualifying, while Piastri was 0.185secs adrift of the Briton in third.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the only other realistic title contender at 36 points behind Norris, could manage only sixth, beaten by Mercedes’ George Russell and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Norris added: “Car has been performing well. Not nice enough that I’m happy about everything. Some things to improve on for qualifying. Sprint race, if I can cruise to victory that would be beautiful.”

Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in the second session and qualified 11th in his Ferrari, his final lap in the second session ruined when team-mate Charles Leclerc spun in front of him out of Turn 10.

Hamilton also faces an investigation for failing to slow sufficiently for the yellow flags waved when Leclerc lost control.

Norris’ result is the best possible start to the weekend and gives him the opportunity to build his championship lead – eight points are awarded to the winner of the sprint, seven for second and so on down to eighth place.

Norris topped all three sessions in sprint qualifying and had a comfortable advantage over Piastri throughout.

He said: “It was a little bit tougher than I would have liked. But we did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today.

“Qualifying is always one of the best things here. It’s difficulty, it’s bumpy, it’s tricky, always a joy, always puts a smile on your face.

“But a long weekend, another qualifying and another couple of races to go but a good start.” (BBC)

 

The post ‘Good start’ for Norris as he takes sprint pole appeared first on News Room Guyana.

In a sport defined by speed and silverware, the Top Power Racing team, led by Chief Mechanic Brian TenPow, continues to set an almost unreachable standard in Guyanese motorsport.

At the heart of this success is Shan Seejatan, who recently clinched a staggering eighth Group Two Championship, a feat that firmly cements his legacy as one of the country’s most successful drivers.

Yet, despite an undeniable track record, TenPow highlights a frustrating irony. As he noted in a comment, Seejatan’s brilliance is often met with unwarranted critique rather than the widespread celebration it warrants.

Seejatan’s dominance in the recent Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Race of Champions was absolute, extending far beyond his signature Group 2 class.

• Group 2: Piloting the formidable Honda Civic prepared by TenPow and his crew, Seejatan was the outright favourite. He delivered with two wins from two races (the third was cancelled), but the accurate measure of their success was the team’s relentless pursuit of perfection. Seejatan unofficially shattered the class lap record, clocking a blistering 1:23.937, a significant improvement on the 1:24.681 set earlier in the year.

• Vitz Cup: Taking on the ultra-competitive Vitz Cup A class in a Toyota prepared by Balram Ramdeo’s team, Seejatan secured two wins and a second-place finish, engaging in thrilling, close-quarters battles with long-time rival Rameez Mohamed.

• Sport Tuner: The weekend started tough for the Sport Tuner class, with an unfortunate DNF in the opening race after contact. However, Seejatan demonstrated his championship mettle by fighting back in the stacked field. He clocked the fastest time of the second race (finishing second) and finally secured the elusive win in the final heat.

  The Group two Honda Civic that reset the lap record (PHOTO: Mike Gonsalves)

The team’s results weren’t confined to Seejatan’s efforts, with teammates Naresh Alves and Zachary Persaud also delivering strong performances:

• Naresh Alves proved a force in the highly competitive Street Tuner class, consistently demonstrating the performance potential of the Top Power-prepared machinery.
• Zachary Persaud also represented the team effectively in the Vitz Cup B category, showcasing the team’s depth across multiple classes.

Speaking after the Clash of Champions haul, Seejatan immediately deflected the praise, stressing the importance of the crew.

“I, of course, have to thank Balram (Ramdeo) and his team for putting together the Toyota Vitz…I think the work that went into that car to get it where it was on race day was amazing,” Seejatan commented on his Vitz Cup success.

On the Group 2 machine, he praised his Chief Mechanic: “We knew that coming into this weekend, we would have a target on our backs and a lot of guys would be gunning for us, so we couldn’t afford to get it wrong. And that’s where Brian (Ten-Pow) and his team came in. We were able to ensure that we bettered our lap record from earlier this year by close to half a second, which shows that we found improvements in the car.”

Crucially, he gave credit to the whole crew: “Rajiv Rajaram, my tuner for the cars, was able to root out some key issues, and the other guys Ravi, Stefan, Anthony, Bomber, all of them put their heads together and made sure that we came out on top at the end of the day and I owe it to those guys.”

TenPow, a veteran who has honed his craft working with prestigious names like the Pro Drive Works WRC Subaru rally cars in the United Kingdom, as well as teams across the US, Europe, and the UK, voiced his disappointment over the attitude towards their dominance, noting that their success should serve to inspire growth and competitiveness in the sport.

TenPow emphasised that the technical knowledge fuelling their machines is not a secret, deriving from years of personal learning, mentorship from his brothers Errol and Elson, friend Gord Bush, and global motor racing experience.

“The knowledge I use comes from what I’ve learned over the years. A lot of that information is out there, freely available to anyone willing to look, read, and learn,” he noted.

In a clear message to rivals and critics, Ten0Pow concluded: “We’ll continue to let our results speak for themselves. Racing has always been about passion, performance and pride.”

Seejatan and Top Power Racing were supported last weekend by Special Auto the Filter Shop, Trans Pacific Motor Spares, and Blue Springs Water.

 

The post Teamwork at heart of Shan Seejatan’s unparalleled success in motorsport appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Guyanese batting trio- Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach and Kevlon Anderson- is part of a West Indies high-performance camp in Antigua ahead of the Test series against New Zealand in December.

Below is the full text of a release issued by Cricket West Indies on Friday.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the start of a High-Performance preparation camp in Antigua, running from November 4-18, as part of the build-up to the December 2-22 three-match Test series leg of the West Indies Men’s tour to New Zealand.

The camp will feature a select group of senior and developing players identified for their potential to feature in the series and future international assignments. It will focus on technical and tactical refinement, match simulation, and mental readiness to adapt to New Zealand’s challenging conditions.

Training sessions will be held at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), with support from CWI’s High-Performance coaching and sports science teams. Players will also undergo structured load monitoring, wellness oversight and gym-based strength and conditioning programmes, all aligned with CWI’s High-Performance protocols.

The camp will be led by Ramesh Subasinghe, Head Coach of the West Indies Academy, and Rohan Nurse, Assistant Coach, who will oversee tactical and technical development. CWI’s Senior Talent Manager, Jamal Smith, along with developing pathway coach, Shane Dowrich, will provide additional coaching and coordination support over the two-week period.

CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe commented: “This camp is designed to give players a focused opportunity to prepare for the specific challenges of playing in New Zealand. For the batsmen, it’s about targeted work on areas where they’ve shown vulnerability and adapting to the conditions they’ll face. For the bowlers, it’s about managing their workloads effectively and identifying the lengths and areas that have proven successful in New Zealand.”

“It’s a practical, purposeful camp — one that allows the group to refine key aspects of their game while building cohesion and clarity ahead of the tour. The goal is to make the most of this preparation window, so the players are ready to compete with confidence and intent.”

Participating in the camp will be recent Test match selectees Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, Anderson Phillip, Johann Layne, Kevlon Anderson and John Campbell, who scored his maiden century against India in the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Dehli on October 9.

Other participants include Ojay Shields, Kavem Hodge and veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach. (CWI)

The post Chanderpaul, Imlach and Anderson in camp ahead of West Indies Test tour of New Zealand appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) has expanded its curriculum to include several new specialised programmes aimed at strengthening teacher training and promoting inclusive education.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, announced on Friday during CPCE’s graduation ceremony held at the National Stadium, Providence, where 1,345 teachers graduated.

For the first time, CPCE will offer new subject-specific training for secondary school teachers in Geography, History, Chemistry, Physics, French, and Portuguese.

Additionally, the college has introduced a one-year Health and Family Life Education programme tailored for guidance and counselling officers, and a six-week training course for parents of children with special needs.

CPCE 2025 graduates

“These new programmes are part of our broader efforts to ensure that every classroom is equipped with well-trained, well-rounded teachers,” Minister Parag said, noting that approximately 68 percent of teachers nationwide are now trained, up from previous years.

The Minister emphasised that the new initiatives reflect government’s commitment to building a world-class education system.
“We are making strides, and we are most certain that we are moving towards world-class education,” she said.

The post Special needs, counselling among new specialised programmes to be offered by CPCE – Parag appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) will once again host one of Guyana’s most exciting and anticipated tournaments, the Banks Beer Cup, on Sunday, November 9, beginning at 08:00h.

The competition will be played under the Medal Play format over 18 holes, challenging golfers to demonstrate both skill and precision on Guyana’s premier golf course. With a strong turnout of local and regional players expected, the stage is set for a day of high-caliber golfing action and fellowship.

Players will compete for prizes in several major categories, including:

• Best Net- Top three
• Overall Best Gross
• Ladies Best Net
• Nearest to the Flag- Hole #4
• Longest Drive- Hole #5

“The Banks Beer Cup is more than just a golf competition, it is a celebration of tradition, excellence, and corporate partnership. Over the years, Banks DIH Limited has established itself as one of Guyana’s most influential corporate entities, supporting not only golf but numerous sporting disciplines across the nation,” the LGC said in a press release.

“Founded in the 1840s, Banks DIH has evolved from its origins as a small rum and beverage operation into a diversified conglomerate, producing and distributing some of Guyana’s most beloved brands, including the world-renowned Banks Beer. The company’s enduring commitment to community development and sport has made it a key supporter of national growth and recreation.”

The LGC added: “Through sponsorships such as the Banks Beer Cup, Banks DIH continues to demonstrate its belief in the unifying power of sport , bringing people together in friendly competition, promoting healthy lifestyles, and fostering national pride.”

As the sun rises over the Lusignan Golf Course this Sunday, anticipation will be high among golfers and spectators alike for another memorable day on the greens, a fitting reflection of the shared spirit of competition and camaraderie that defines both the Lusignan Golf Club and Banks DIH Limited.

The post Banks Beer Cup golf tournament set for November 9 at Lusignan appeared first on News Room Guyana.

As the world grapples with the escalating climate crisis, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed the need for countries to transition from their dependence on fossil fuels to more renewable sources of energy.

However, he emphasised this shift must be fair and practical.

“Simple calls for new [oil] producers to ‘leave it in the ground’ are, in reality, a form of protectionism – protecting those who are already wealthy as incumbents,” President Ali said at a leaders’ roundtable discussion on the energy transition at this year’s UN climate talks in Belém.

Those calls are seemingly personal. Guyana, the tiny South American country home to less than one million people, started producing oil in 2019. It is one of the largest per-capita oil producers in the world, with plans to hike daily production to more than one million barrels of oil by the end of the decade. The windfall from the nascent sector has been significant, so ceasing production means a major loss of revenue for the country.

The President pointed out that even with countries meaningfully switching to renewable energy, there will still be a demand and need for fossil fuels.

“Fossil fuels still provide more than 80% of global energy. For example, the International Energy Agency tells us that oil demand in a net zero scenario will reduce from about 100 million barrels a day today to 72 million by 2030 and 24 million by 2050,” he told his colleagues.

Guyana, he said previously, should be one of the suppliers meeting the diminishing demand for fossil fuels, as the sweet, light crude produced by the country covered in well-protected rainforests, has great value.

At the COP30 energy transition discussion, the President clearly said that oil producers with high-carbon, inefficient production should be phased out. For him, countries with “lower-carbon, responsibly managed production” should meet the declining demand as the world shifts to renewables.

“That requires global rules – a carbon price that reflects real costs, the removal of fossil-fuel subsidies, and competition based on carbon intensity, not legacy advantage,” the President said.

The post Energy transition must be fair, not protect the rich – President Ali appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Reliance Hustlers Sports Club has received a timely boost to its youth development programme, courtesy of Mahdia Movements Family Hotel and Bar, owned by Ragkumar Singh.

The donation, which consisted of much-needed cricket gear, was handed over by Neiland Cadogan of Mahdia Movements Family to Mark Austin, Secretary of Reliance Hustlers SC, in the presence of several young players and Level One Coach Nathan Persaud, who also represents Mahdia Movements Family in various tournaments.

In a live message to the youths, Singh urged them to make full use of the gear and remain committed to improving their game while aiming for the highest levels of cricket.

He further expressed his excitement to play a role in the club’s growth, stating: “Though my company is not the largest out there, I’m very happy to be able to contribute to the club’s development program. I intend to continue my support throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, especially for the youths.”

President of the Reliance Hustlers SC, Trevis Simon, extended heartfelt thanks to Singh and the Mahdia Movements Family for what he described as a mammoth contribution towards the club’s youth programme.

He noted that this donation will go a long way in helping the young cricketers improve their game and build a stronger foundation for the future.

Currently, 25 young players are under the guidance of Coach Persaud, who conducts sessions four days a week.

Mahdia Movements Family, based in Mahdia, has been a notable presence in regional cricket circles, having participated in several popular tournaments across Guyana, including the One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast, the Mahdia Independence Cup, the South Pakaraima 10/10 Bash, and the Mahdia Town Anniversary Softball Tournament.

The team continues to promote the development of sport and youth engagement, both on and off the field.

The post Mahdia Movements Family extends support to Reliance Hustlers Sports Club appeared first on News Room Guyana.